Mountsorrell Branch First Train.

Copied and pasted from a newsletter I received tonight.

History will be made this coming Saturday November 23rd, when the first steam hauled passenger train will run along the restored Mountsorrel Railway.


The first train is a private charter for the volunteers who have worked to restore the railway and is not open to the general public. It will be a few months yet before the line can open to general passengers.

The train will consist of five carriages from the GCR's Pullman set with LMS 'jinty' no. 47406 having the honour of hauling the historic first train.

Please come along to see history in the making. The new Nunckley Trail footpath that runs alongside the line will be open, providing excellent photo opportunities of the train. Access to the Nunckley Trail can be found next to the bridge on Swithland Lane.

Access will be close to the green tree symbol.​

Please note that GCR line side passes are not valid for the Mountsorrel Railway. No line side photography will be permitted because of the safety rules that allow the train to run. Volunteer marshals will be on hand at Nunckley Hill to show you the best locations to see the train, please follow their safety instructions.

The train is due to arrive at Nunckley Hill around 1:20pm.

 

Seems a bit dubious to me, although any incidents should at least be well off of GCR infrastructure.

It's also worth pointing out that Swithland Sidings is *not* open to the public.

 

And it will be more than "a few months" before anything other than a handful of one-off specials, under special arrangements, can access the branch - pretty much like any other non-passenger mineral branch.

 

Why is it dubious?

 

The train doesn't consist of Pullmans for starters! They are ersatz Pullmans that look remarkably like refurbished Mk 1 FOs!

 

Why would that make it more likely to be an incident?

 

I*t doesn't, it's just dubious!

 

This is the bit that confuses me somewhat. It makes it sound likely that there will be a mishap of some kind?

 

There was a very good piece on the project on the Radio 4 (??) the other day. I don't see how it can be unsafe as they will have been inspected by the various bodies throughout the process of rebuilding the railway.

 

Doesn't any railway using the pullman name have to be licensed to do so by the owners of the brand though? So if permission is given, then they are pullman spec with the pullman brand, just not pullman coaches of 1930s spec?

 

In my opinion, these coaches are being marketed as something they are not. They are first class dining cars from a bygone age, there's nothing wrong with that, but why market them as something that they're not (and that's why I say they are dubious). Doing so devalues proper Pullmans. Just my point of view though.

 

Seems to be a lot of negativity over what should be a good news day? What's the agenda here?

 

I know what you mean, but I would contest that it is Pullman's brand managers who you need to speak to if you feel there is a problem I too would love to see rakes of original stock but the current ones are cool with me.
I do think the mountsorrel branch news is great!

 

I checked the GCR website and whilst you are correct in the coaches being renovated Mk1s the GCR have had permission to use the Pullman name and the Master Cuttler, Golden Arrow and White Rose. Are the comversions any less pullmans than those used by vintage Trains which ar Proper Pullmans but still MK1 bodies

 

Seeing as the overwhelming majority of flippers posts relate to the gc we can assume that he either knows something or has an axe to grind. Either way it would be good if he could be more transparent in his posts

 

The Pullmans are so named (with permission) because they were painted in a livery chosen by the company who sponsored their refurbishment. I don't like it personally, but given that four of the six vehicles were stored o.o.u. prior to refurbishment (and in three cases in a semi-derelict to derelict condition) I can live with it. It's only the rust prevention layer, after all.

 

I think Flipper has said all he needs to, under the circumstances!

I certainly don't believe he was particularly concerned about the colour of the coaches though.

 

I think the volunteers of the Mountsorrell branch should be congratulated for their hard work and the short space of time it has taken them. I also notice a lot of involvement with younger generations and this should be highly commended above all else.

Well done guys and gals and enjoy the 23rd, you deserve it!

 

Well said that man great to see the younger element getting involved.